Declaration of Independence of Ukraine

The Act was adopted in the aftermath of the coup attempt on 19 August when conservative Communist leaders of the Soviet Union tried to restore central Communist party control over the USSR. In response (during a tense 11-hour extraordinary session), the Supreme Soviet (parliament) of the Ukrainian SSR in a special Saturday session overwhelmingly approved the Act of Declaration.

The Act passed with 321 votes in favor, 2 votes against, and 6 abstentions (out of 360 attendants).

The author of the text was Levko Lukyanenko. The Communists (CPU) felt there was no choice other than a decision to secede and, as they expressed it, distance themselves from the events in Moscow, particularly the strong anti-Communist movement in the Russian Parliament. "If we don't vote for independence, it will be a disaster," stated first secretary of the CPU Stanislav Hurenko during the debate.

The same day (24 August), the parliament called for a referendum on support for the Declaration of Independence.

The proposal for calling the national referendum came jointly from opposition leaders Ihor Yukhnovsky and Dmytro Pavlychko. The Parliament also voted for the creation of a national guard of Ukraine and turned jurisdiction over all the armed forces located on Ukrainian territory over to itself.

Other than a noisy crowd that had gathered at Parliament, the streets of Kiev were quiet that day, with few signs of open celebration.

In the days that followed a number of resolutions and decrees were passed: nationalizing all CPU property and handing it over to the Supreme Soviet and local councils; issuing an amnesty for all political prisoners; suspending all CPU activities and freezing CPU assets and bank accounts pending official investigations into possible collaboration with the Moscow coup plotters; setting up a committee of inquiry into official behavior during the coup; and establishing a committee on military matters related to the creation of a Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

On 26 August 1991 Permanent Representatives of the Ukrainian SSR to the United Nations (the Ukrainian SSR was a founding member of the United Nations) Hennadiy Udovenko informed the office of the Secretary General of the United Nations that his permanent mission to this international assembly will be officially designated as representing Ukraine.

On 26 August 1991 the executive committee of Kiev also voted to remove all the monuments of Communist heroes from public places, including the Lenin monument on the central October Revolution Square.

The large square would be renamed Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) as would the central Metro station below it, the executive committee decided.

On 28 August 1991 more than 200,000 Lviv and Lviv oblast residents declared their readiness to serve in the national guard.

In the independence referendum on 1 December 1991, the people of Ukraine expressed widespread support for the Act of Declaration of Independence, with more than 90% voting in favor, and 82% of the electorate participating.

Since 1992, the 24th of August is celebrated in Ukraine as Independence Day.